Vertical conveyer



May 23, 1933.

J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. 7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor:

John E. Regan.

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May 23, 1933.

J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. '7, 1930 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 2 f4 Fig.5

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17 Sheets-Sheet 5 J. E. REGAN VERT ICAL CONVEYER Fil ed Feb. 7, 1950 May 23, 1933.

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VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. 7, 1930 1'? Sheets-Sheet 6 21. Fly. 42.

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May 23, 1933. J.-E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. 7. 1950 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 Inventor. John l7. Regan.

Alliys! May 23, .1933. J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. 7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet ll May 23, 1933. 1,910,965

J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. '7, 1950 17 Sheets-Sheet l2 l l l l I O 487 I l I 482 48a Inventor 0 78/ John like an.

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May 23, 1933. J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. '7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet 13 Invent r I John E. Regan Att May 23, 1933. J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. '7, 1950 1'? Sheets-Sheet 14 Inventor. John E. Regan A ttys.

May 23, 1933. J E REGAN' 1,910,965

VERTICAL CQNVEYER Filed Feb. 7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 A zt' s.

May 23, 1933. J. E. REGAN VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. 7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 Inventor John E. Regan. b E J y Att ys.

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V VERTICAL CONVEYER Filed Feb. '7, 1930 17 Sheets-Sheet l7 F1944. Fly. 45.

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Patented May 23, 1933.

U ITE'osTA'TES PATENT OFFICE onnnn GAmoF sYnAoUsnivEw Yon-K, ASSIGNOR rorirn LAMSON ooivirAjNYQor sYnAcUsE, YORK, A oonronn'rionor MASSACHUSETTS vEnricAL CONVEYER .-App1icationfiled February 7, 1930. a Serial No. 426,525.

i The primary object of this. invention is large an d heavy and another object of the I invention is topreveiit injury to the loads to providea *vertical conveyer adapted to OPQIQtBCQHlJIHHOIlSlY and 'to rece ve and deliver .loads. at. various stations; Without stopping lheloads carried by the conveyer may be orthemechanism. Other objects reside in the provision of means to insure a regular supply of loads to, and a regular removal of loads from the conveyer and to permitpassage of loads or containers through the conveyer well; also in the provision of autof matie means for synchronizingthe operation ot the loadsupplying and removing means and the operation of theeonveyer, for load iiig and unloading the .conveyer at various stations .seriatin the ;completion of the operations; at onestationg iiiitiating the operations at the succeedingstationand in the provision of various deta ls ot construction as. will beset forth hereiiibelow.

In the part cular embodiment sele cted for" illustrating the invention, the conveyer coniprises a plurality of suitably spaced cars, each can, having two compartments. Into the cars are fed trucksor containers, empty trucks; being IECElVGdlll one compartment of each car and filled ,trucks beiiig received in the other compartment of the can] The empty trucks are fed to the conveyer cars at one station "while the filled trucks are fed a e at a plurality of stations. The empty trucks liowevergare delivered at a plurality of sta tioiis ivhilethe filledtiucks are all delivered at the, same station; 3

Theselected embodiment is setfitorth in the accompanying drawings in which Figfll isa plan View, somewhatdiagrain matic, illustrating the relationship of the various loadingi anctunloadmg conveyer mechanisms to the verticalconveyer;

Fig. 2is an elevation, with parts broken away, taken fiom one side ofthe: vertical conveyer; and showing somewhat diagram matically the mechanism for unloading filled and empty-trucks therefrom; y i Fig. 3 is a. similar view taken from the {oppositeside illustratingsomewhat diagramstat- 'ons D on the upper floors and of the matically the mechanism for loading filled and empty trucks and for providing a;passage through the conveyer Well in conjuncs tion with the mechanism for loading empty.

trucks;

Fig. 4 s a front elevation; and

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the Vertical conveyer illustrating diagrammatically the.

location of the various loading andunloading stations;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the cars carried by the vertical conveyer, the position of trucks thereon beingindicated by dot and dashlinesy a a n Fig. 7 is a side elevation; and Fig.8 is an end elevation of the car; I

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one of the trucks adapted to be used in the installation shown;

Fig. 10 is a plan view, partly in section,

taken along the line 10-10 of Fig. 9; and.

in elevation of one end stationsC on the upper floors and of the I mechanisms by which the empty trucks are there unloaded from the conveyer;

Fig. 16 (Sheet 8) fllMbFlgS. 17 and (Sheet 2) are views of details of this station;

the line 19-'-19 of Fig. 14;

is I

Fig. 19 is a sectional view taken along Fig. 20 is a view in elevation. illustrating the relation of the truck to the counting mechanism at one of the for empty trucks;

90 V unloading station's i Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken .along" the line 21 -21 of Fig; 20;

Figi22 is aside elevation of the count ing mechanism; i a a Fig. 23 is a side elevationof the counter Fig. 24 is a plan view; and

Fig. 25 is a sideelevation :of one of the mechanism by which filled trucks are loaded onto the conveyer Fig. 26 is a sectional view taken along line 26-26 on Fig. 24;

Fig. 27 is a side elevation, partly in section, along the line 27-27 in Fig. 28 of a safety feature associated with each station for loading filled trucks;

Fig. 28 is an end elevation of such mechanism taken along the line 2828 in Fig.

Fig. 29 is a plan view; and

30 is a side elevation of the station E at which the filled trucks are unloaded from the conveyer;

Fig. 31 is a plan view; and

Fig. 32 is a side elevation of the horizontal conveyer to which the filled trucks unloaded from the vertical conveyer at station E are delivered;

Fig. 33 is a plan view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the relation of the various conveyers by which the empty trucks are fed to the vertical conveyer;

Figs. 34 and 35 are plan and side views of the circuit making or circuit breaking mechanism employed in this invention;

Figs. 36, 37, and 38 (Sheet 12), Figs. 39 and 40 (Sheet 3) and Fig. 41 (Sheet 16) disclose safety devices which prevent the operation of the vertical conveyer if the loads are not properly positioned upon the cars thereof; and

Figs. 42 and 43 (Sheet 6) and Figs. 44, 45, and 46 (Sheet 17) are wiring diagrams illustrating the various electrical connections and controls employed with this invention.

The invention will. be described with respect to a vertical conveyer A which, in the embodiment here shown, extends from the basement to the ninth floor of a building. 011 the second floor of the building is provided a station B at which empty trucks are loaded onto cars of the conveyer. These trucks are transported by the conveyer to stations C on the fourth, fifth, sixth, and

seventh floors of the building, at which floors they are unloaded. The unloading operation takes place durlng the downward movement of the conveyer cars, and in accordance with this invention a predetermined number of empty trucks are unloaded at each floor in order beginning. at the seventh floor. The fourth floor instead of receiving a predetermined number of trucks, may, under certain conditions, act as an overflow 'and take all the empty trucks not delivered to the three upper floors.

The trucks delivered at the stations C on the various floors are filled on these floors and are then loaded onto the conveyer cars fourth floor are first loaded onto the cars, then those on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors in regular order. The filled trucks are unloaded from the conveyer at station E on the second floor and transported therefrom by suitable mechanism to be described later. The station B on the second floor at which the empty trucks are loaded onto the conveyer may. also be employed, whendesired, to pass empty trucks through the conveyer well to the station F on the front side thereof, without interference with the operation of the conveyer. The various stations B, C, D, E, and F are indicated particularly on Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings.

The vertical conveyor by which the trucks are transported to and from the various stations travels in a well 40, here shown as formed by a plurality of vertical uprights 41, suitably connected by crossbars 42. The uprights 41 are preferably angle bars, as shown in Fig. 6, located at each corner of the elevator well and the sides of the well may be and usually are closed in the usual manner except at the various stations at which suitable doorways are provided. EX- tending vertically through the well are suitably arranged pairs of vertical angle bars 43 whichform guides or tracks 44 for a purpose to be described later.

The vertical conveyer 50 comprises a pair of continuous chains or other traveling means 51 which passover sprockets 52 at the top of the well, the sprockets 52 being mounted upon parallel shafts 53 driven by motors or other similar sources of power 54. At the lower end of the well the chains 51 pass over suitably located idler sprockets 55 mounted in the frame in any suitable manner. Supportedupon the chains 51 of the conveyer are a plurality of cars 60, shown in detail in Figs. 6, 7, and 8. The cars are attached at two diametrically opposite corners, see Fig. 6, to the chains 51 by suitable trunnions or bearings 61 mounted upon the car. It will be understood that one of the trunnions 61 is attached to one chain and the other trunnion is attached to the other chain. I

The car comprises side members 62 connected by a cross member 63. Parallel to and intermediate between the side members 62 is a central member 64 which is supported by the cross member 63 and which divides the car into two compartments. Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings'it will be clear that in each compartment of the car open spaces 65are provided. Three sides of each space are defined by a side member 62, the

a which acts as a guide .ra 'land] those on the sidemembers being nions 61areln1ounted attheup-per end of po'stsBSl at the ends of the side members 62 and are parallel tothe side membersGQ, extending outwardly beyond them into the guides or tracks; 4A formed by the bars l3 ..,(F ig. 6). In the cross member .63 are mounted knobs or projections which, as

isshown in Figs! 6 and 8,are located intermediate between the centralmember 6a and the side members The guide rails 67 a and 68 preferablyare taperedat their ends 1 571,.ass110waj1t 6." Thecompartments and 7:6 of the car are identical inform and jconstru ctiorr, the firstbeing for empty 1 trucks and thejsecond' for filledtrucks as will be set forth below. o

in FigsQQ, 10 and 11. .Eachofsuchtrucks comprises a here 83 whichact with the'juprights 82 to providea strong, rigid frame. 1 The trucks may be of two types, i. e. those in which all sides are closed and those in which one side isopened, and I haveelected to illustrate thelatter typeonly. The frame at the rear side and ends of the truck 80, here shoj-wn, carries a wire screening 84 or other similar construct on. wh le the front side is open.

. ticularly in Fignllfthe shelves. .85 incline so that the packages loaded thereon will remainin theirflproper position. i l r The base 81 of the truck is providedwith which, as shown inFig. 10, project. beyond theysideedges of the base 81. Mounted on each end of the truck at the top arestraps 1.89 which are spacedfrom the end .wallsof the truck and form handles or guides by whichthe truck canbeguided into its proper position. truckwithin the straps 89 are bars 90 pro- Qgvided; with a plurality of perforations 91 in which pins 92 may be inserted. Inthepresent instance nine perforations are shown, the'eighth being at the center line of the.

truck. To supportthe ends of the pins 92,1

. an angle bar 93 is provided'below and parallel tothe perforated. portion of the bar .90.

On the end walls of thetruck are mounted suitablepockets 94 in whichbills or other memoranda maybe placed. 1 One end wall is provided with a pocket 95 adapted to rem provided .with. guide "rails, 68. The trim} Supportedfon the ttramesare in; clined bottom and center shelves, 85 and a horizontal upper shelf 86.}. As shown par downwardlyfrom the open side of the truck suitable bumpers 87, and at each end of each bumper are; locatedufreely rotatable rolls- 88 Fixed to the end walls, of the;

ceive one or inore pinsf92when1such pins are not in use. 111 the base 81 ofthe truck isforineda notch or socket 96 solocated that when the truck isplaced on a car i will receiveo-neof the projections 7 00h the cross member63 and the truckwillthusbe yieldably held in theproper position on the j Mechanism for loadiag empty trucks 12 and 13 i The emptytrucks are fed to the conveyer A at* the station B on thesecond floor by "means of a driven roll conveyer 100 which,

inthe usual manner, comprises side frames 101 on which the rolls 102 are supported, I

the rolls being driven by contact with a belt 103supported on end rollers 104 and 105. "The roller 104' is driven bya motor 106 01" 1 suitable driving means and operates continuously. It will be noted that the forward end ofthe conveyer100 extends into the elevator well and is .permanentlysupported inthat position upon angle braces 107.

The forward end of the conveyor forms 1 one platform 108 of the station E. The other platform 110 is supported by a brace lll and drivenby a belt 113fthrough rollers 114,

115. The roller 115 may beoperated independently of the roller 104by a motoror suitable means. The platforms 108 and1l0 carries a pluralitypf rolls 112 which are extend into the path of travel of the cars 60 but are fixed in such position that they do not interfere with such travel, due to the spaces 65 in the compartments 75 of the cars.

Obviously trucks 80 placedon the station platforms 108, 110 will be pickedup by the passing cars on the tracks 66 of the compartment 75.

The portion of the conveyer 100 out-- side the frame of the conveyer well is time carry more than two complete trucks of such dimension thatit will at no 80. The trucks are fed to the conveyer V 100 by the carriers, shown in Figs. 1 and 33. Thetrucks pass directly onto the conveyer 100 from a conveyer 120, the end .of whichabuts the outer end of the conveyer 1100 and which is preferably of the belt type operatedby any suitable means, such as a motor 12L The empty trucks are fed onto.

the conveyer by a conveyer 13O,which is at right angles to the conveyer 120,and

is also ofthe belt type operatedby amotor or similar driving means 131. The empty trucks are supplied to the conveyer fro1n a roller flight unit which acts as a cush ion and collecting conveyor, and from which trucks are transported to the conveyerf130 by belt conveyers 136 and 137 driven 'motors 138 and 139 respectively" and a gravity roll curved conveyer 140." .Alsolenoid r stop l ll, located between the unit/135 and conveyer 136, controls the supply of trucks. This stop is normally depressed out of op- 

